Sunsets and Carcrashes
by nia-ox
Summary: Edward and Bella take a disastrous drive home. All Human.


**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Inspired by Sunsets and Carcrashes by The Spill Canvas. I don't even remember writing this, but here you go. A mini one shot, all human.**

* * *

"Hello, Beautiful. I've missed you," Edward wrapped his arms around me in the parking lot as a greeting.

"I've missed you too," I said, leaning upwards for a kiss, and receiving one. "How was work?"

"I have news about that," he said gravely. "But I'll tell you later. How was your day?"

"Car first, conversation later," I laughed, slipping into the car.

"You have me wrapped right around your finger, don't you?" He joked, closing the door and walking briskly back around to his side.

"Esme's and Carlisle's tonight?" I asked as he closed the door behind him.

"It's a Thursday, isn't it? " he chuckled. "I'm never going to get tired of you asking me that."

"I know."

"So, let's start again," he turned the key in the ignition. "How was your day?"

"Loud," I sighed. "The children were haywire today, I tell you. My back has been aching terribly, they were all acting up. Sadie Barker ate more paste and Jack Todd tried to eat a worm!"

Edward laughed, manoeuvring the car out of the parking lot. The car seemed to drive itself; it continued speeding down the empty road that led to the family home even though our conversation was all both of us were concentrating on.

Three long years we'd been married, and tonight I had been planning to tell him something that I thought we'd both need to hear, something we both needed.

But he'd beaten me to it.

"That news...about work..." He began, frowning into the distance.

"Yeah?" I smiled up at him.

"I have to leave, for a while. Six months. This trip could secure a promotion for me, and a raise that we couldn't imagine! We could live the high life with this money, Bell."

"We already have money," I whispered.

"But there'd be more, Bella, a lot more. Enough to buy us a mansion, to buy us a holiday home in sunny Spain. Money for us, rather than gifts from my parents or my inheritance."

"You don't think...you don't think you could go another time? I mean...just not now?" I begged. "I mean, you could go another time...I...when I had a bit of warning, to prepare myself?"

Twilight was setting in, and I couldn't help worrying that this could be the twilight of our relationship, despite the ring on my finger that I was absent-mindedly playing with.

"I can't, Bella." His voice was pained – I knew as well as him that what I was asking was just impossible. "You know...you know I'm going to come back. I just can't get out of this. It's too important."

"But...you're going to be half way across the world," I whispered, staring out at the road that flew beneath us. He was going to be half way across the world and I was _pregnant_.

"I know, and I'm going to miss you too. Every day, every second of every day. But this could secure the promotion for me! I'll email you, I'll call you every day. It's only going to be for six months." By then, I would be eight months pregnant - _heavily_ pregnant.

"What do they want you to do out there?" I whispered, staring out at the bleeding sunset over the water.

Esme and Carlisle's home was situated at the top of a monstrously large cliff; the first time I drove up or down the roads, I drove slowly in terror. But the roads had since become as familiar to me as Edward, who was the most confident driver in our family. And besides, no one ever used these roads, they were mostly empty.

His voice was weary when he answered. "They just want me to promote the company, I think. They didn't really go into many details- there are some Italian businessmen who want to expand their wealth, and think the best way to do it is to buy into our company."

"And that's going to take six months?" I said disparagingly.

"No; they want me to go over business plans, they want me to look at the site they're thinking of building new offices on...these things take time, Bella."

"Edward...I understand you need to do this," I pleaded urgently in a soft tone. "But please, any time, any time other than this."

"What is it?" He whispered, taking his eyes off the road to search my face, watching the tears running unchecked down my face. "What aren't you telling me?"

"I'm pregnant." I breathed, closing my eyes as the tears slipped through my heavily mascaraed eyelashes, sending rivers of black down my cheeks.

He was silent for a while, and I opened my eyes, turning to watch the sun setting. It turned the glass of the sea to a rich crimson red, like the water had become blood.

When Edward opened his mouth, his voice was strained.

"Oh God, Bella...why didn't you tell me? Of course...of course I won't go. I'll stay, I'll stay, of course I will." He looked down, sighing. "I...Oh, Bella, why didn't you tell me? I love you? How far gone are you? I'm going to be a _father_..."

Whether it was intuition, whether it was the atmosphere brought on by the sea of blood, but I turned my eyes back to the road in horror

The road in front of us was blocked by a car crash.

"Edward!" I screamed, grabbing his arm. He looked up, and unthinkingly, swerved.

There was no time to stamp on the break, no time to jump out of the car as it twirled down what was left of the road, and broke through the metal barrier that separated the road and the edge of the cliff.

However many times we hit the jagged points of the cliff, I don't know. I know I was screaming, I know Edward was screaming. I know I was holding my hands over my stomach in desperation, I know I was being thrown around.

The car rolled to a stop; I was still conscious.

"Edward?" I groaned. "Edward?"

"I'm here, Bella," he mumbled. I tried to reach my arm out to him but my hand felt weighed down, numb, as though it wasn't connected to my wrist any more. My chest felt clogged and as though it was caving in. My breathing sounded wet and I registered the taste of blood. Breathing got more difficult.

They say you know when you're about to die and I did. I knew I couldn't be saved, and the life inside me was perishing with me. I guess it was never meant to be. I couldn't open my eyes – maybe from fear, or another reason I don't know – and I didn't know where Edward was, what position he was in.

"Edward," I gasped, struggling for breath. "Listen to me,"

"I'm here Bella, I'm here," I felt his hands on me, one on my face, one on my stomach; it would never get the chance to round.

"I love you, Edward. And I'm sorry for not telling you about the baby, I-" my throat gurgled and I was choking. My eyes fluttered open at the last second and beyond a veil of blurry fog I saw Edward, blood pouring from his forehead. But he was upright.

"Don't give up on me, Bella!" Edward begged. "Please, I know you can hold on, someone's coming, we'll be okay."

"Don't leave me, I love you," was the last thing I could say before I couldn't breathe. I hoped to claw at my throat and find the air but I'd lost the feeling in my limbs. I could hear Edward humming to me and crying as I slipped away.

_I see a sense of wonder deep inside your eyes  
As we're sparkling and twirling in the twilight  
And after three long years, I think that we both need this  
So we seal the deal in the parking lot with a kiss_

_And in case you  
And in case you were wondering, you are like a sunset to me  
You're all kinds of beautiful as you end my day  
And you sweetly retire as stars chase you away_

_I'd collapse to the grass, with your notes ringing in my head  
Let the rain fill my mouth, and in a couple hours I'll be dead  
But all the while my lips are whistling our tune  
But the beauty lies in how you will revive me soon  
_


End file.
